A move in January 2001 took him to Australia's capital, Canberra, where he reported federal politics for radio current affairs, including the 2001 federal election campaign. In 2002 McLeod was promoted to the ABC's foreign correspondent in Papua New Guinea, reporting from across the pacific region. In January 2005 he reported on the devastating tsunami and its effects in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. He moved to Japan to become the ABC's North Asia correspondent in July 2005.